The CAF (Confederation of African Football) Champions League is an annual football competition that pits the most successful clubs on the African continent against each other. The competition is also known as the African Champions League or simply the CAF Champions League. It was established in 1964 and has since undergone several format changes.

The early years of the competition

The early editions of the competition were reserved for only the national champions of each participating country. However, in 1997, the competition was expanded to include the best clubs from each country. Since then, the format of the competition has regularly been modified to include more clubs and improve the quality of the competition.

Most successful clubs in the competition

Egyptian club Al Ahly is the most successful club in the competition, with a total of 10 titles won as of 2021. Egyptian club Zamalek is the second most successful club, with 5 victories.

Other prestigious African clubs have also won the competition, including TP Mazembe from the Democratic Republic of Congo, ES Tunis from Tunisia, Enyimba FC from Nigeria, Orlando Pirates from South Africa, and AS Vita Club also from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The CAF Champions League today

The competition is usually played in two phases: the group stage and the knockout stage. Teams are first divided into groups, where they play against the other teams in their group. The top two teams from each group qualify for the knockout stage, which includes home and away matches until the final.

Conclusion

Over the years, the CAF Champions League has become one of the most prestigious competitions in African football and has attracted millions of fans worldwide. The competition has also contributed to the growth and development of football in Africa, by providing clubs on the continent with a platform for their talent and passion.